An up-and-comer netted his first UFC win in style at Saturday’s Shanghai event.
The MMA community is reflecting on the events that unfolded at the UFC’s latest visit to China, which featured some memorable finishes and a wild upset to close out the night at Shanghai Indoor Stadium.
Johnny Walker stopped Zhang Mingyang in the main event to spoil the home favorite’s plan to win again in front of his compatriots. Before that, Aljamain Sterling dominated Brian Ortega to get back to winning ways and stake his claim for a featherweight title shot.
But some of the card’s best moments took place on the prelims, where three of the four ‘Performance of the Night’ bonuses were dished out. Among them was a finish that not many would have seen coming…
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Uran Satybaldiev became only the fourth fighter to win in the UFC with an Ezekiel choke
The UFC Shanghai event kicked off in style with a historic finish in the very first fight of the night.
Opening the card was a light heavyweight clash between prospects Uran Satybaldiev and Diyar Nurgozhay. Both men were looking to bounce back after losing their respective debuts inside the Octagon earlier this year.
It was ultimately Satybaldiev who succeeded in that goal, and he did so in surprising fashion.
The Kyrgyzstani fighter moved to 10-1 as a professional by forcing his opponent to tap out just over two and a half minutes into round one. The finish came by way of an ultra-rare submission, the Ezekiel choke.
With his performance in Shanghai, ‘Gorilla’ became just the fourth fighter in UFC history to win with the move. Aleksei Oleinik became known for that submission in his lengthy career and used it twice to emerge victorious inside the Octagon.
In addition to Remco Pardoel also triumphing with the technique, Alexander Volkov submitted Tai Tuivasa via Ezekiel choke at UFC 293 two years ago.
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Another UFC Shanghai winner was in need of his bonus
After the sixth win by way of an Ezekiel choke in UFC history, Satybaldiev was one of four fighters to take home a POTN bonus in Shanghai. But it seems that another of the night’s biggest winners needed his extra check the most.
In perhaps the best matchup on the prelims, Charles Johnson knocked out Lone’er Kavanagh to secure a wild come-from-behind victory and enhance his “prospect killer” moniker. The result unsurprisingly secured ‘InnerG’ an additional $50,000, something that will have come as a massive relief to him.
Ariel Helwani reported post-fight that Johnson had no money before UFC Shanghai and had to borrow cash from his manager.
“Charles Johnson’s bank account went into the red this week, his team tells me,” Helwani wrote on X.
“His manager Brian Butler lent him some money. Johnson has a baby arriving any day now.
“Got this big KO. Got a bonus, too. First win of 2025. Congrats @innerGmma_ufc,” he added.
The UFC has come under fire in response, with many questioning how one of the promotion’s most active fighters who won all four of his 2024 fights could be left struggling financially.